During an on-stage interview at the Midem Music Industry Festival in Cannes today, Sony Music CEO Doug Morris confirmed Apple will indeed be introducing its "Apple Music" streaming service at its Worldwide Developers Conference keynote tomorrow, according to VentureBeat. While numerous sources have indicated the service will be unveiled at WWDC, Morris' confirmation is notable as coming from a close friend of Apple's Jimmy Iovine and one of the parties involved in the negotiations for launching the service.
Sony Music CEO Doug Morris (right) on stage at Midem (Chris O'Brien/VentureBeat)
“It’s happening tomorrow,” Morris said during an interview at Midem in Cannes that primarily focused on his storied career in the music industry.
A highlight of that career was a 37-year partnership with iconic producer Jimmy Iovine, who now is running Apple’s music services after the company paid $3 billion to acquire Beats. Underscoring Iovine’s role in the music industry, Morris said he still talks to him twice every day by phone. Morris said the move by Apple to bring in Iovine was a brilliant one.
Morris didn't reveal any other details about Apple Music, which is expected to be priced at $10 per month with a generous three-month free trial period and be accompanied by a revamped iTunes Radio service, but he expressed his view that Apple's entry into the paid subscription streaming market will be a "tipping point" for moving the industry from downloads to streaming.
Update Apple's Chief of French content for Apple TV has shared a photo on Instagram apparently showing he has added Apple Music to his responsibilities.
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An imaginative iPhone 17 Pro concept based on rumors
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Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro ...
WIRED today shared in an in-depth interview with Apple CEO Tim Cook, asking questions about AI, Vision Pro sales, pre-recorded keynotes, and more.
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Am I the only one here who isn't looking forward to 20 minutes of Apple Watch & Apple Stores statistics and then another 30+ minutes dedicated to this music service?
I'm looking forward to stellar new OS X & iOS releases! And hopefully some other unknown surprises!
2015 Keynote:
- 30 minutes of "Look at our sales, WOW! Everyone give each other a hug, did we mention we love our customers?" - iOS 9: Stability improvements! - OS X: Stability improvements! - Apple Music: "OMG look it's U-2!!!" - Fade to black...
There. I just saved you two hours of time and months of Mandarin or sign language classes. You can thank me later.
Am I the only one here who isn't looking forward to 20 minutes of Apple Watch & Apple Stores statistics and then another 30+ minutes dedicated to this music service?
I'm looking forward to stellar new OS X & iOS releases! And hopefully some other unknown surprises!
Under Steve Jobs, a reveal in advance of the keynote would have meant a broken partnership with Sony. The employee who revealed on Instagram would have been fired instantly as well.
